and commencing his survey at the N.W. cape of New Holland. A few days after his departure from Sydney Cove, he found that a considerable quantity of bread was already spoiled from damp and leaks, which necessarily obliged the officers and crew to go at once upon a reduced allowance of that article. On rounding Cape Leeuwin, the S.W. extremity of the continent, Feb. 1st, 1818, all hands were attacked, more or less violently, with a bowel complaint, and symptoms of dysentery. On the second day, when it happily began to subside, only four men were able to keep watch. On the 12th of the same month, the Mermaid had only one serviceable anchor remaining.
The various parts of the coast between the N.W. cape and Depuch Island were visited before the 6th March; on which day, the westerly monsoon being nearly expended. Lieutenant King stretched off to examine a shoal discovered by Captain (now Sir Josias) Rowley, in the year 1800. He then ran to the eastward, as far as Point Braithwaite, on the north coast; from whence he carried on his survey, westwardly, until May 31st. Whilst employed in watering at one of the Goulburn Islands, Mar. 30th, three of his men were slightly wounded by stones thrown from the brink of a cliff overhanging the beach. “It was, however, fortunate,” says he, “that we were not often obliged to resort to firearms for a defence, for the greater number of the twelve muskets that we possessed were useless, notwithstanding they were the best that could be procured at Port Jackson when the vessel was equipped.”
On the 4th June, the Mermaid anchored off the Dutch settlement of Coupang; and during her stay there, the departure of a vessel for Batavia furnished Lieutenant King with an opportunity of acquainting the Admiralty of his progress. His letter arrived in time to contradict a report which reached England, of the Mermaid having been wrecked, and that all on board had perished. The receipt of his first report was thus officially acknowledged:–
“Admiralty Office, 8th Dec. 1818.
